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Blog: What to Expect as a First-Year MBA

The question on newly-admitted MBA students’ minds across the globe is what to expect in graduate school life come Fall. While I can’t tell you what to expect at every MBA program, I can tell you what to expect at the Virginia Tech MBA program – an experience unique to Tech and unlike any other MBA program.

Virginia Tech MBA’s biggest asset is its small size. This means your associate dean, professors, counselors, advisors, and classmates all know your first and last name – which is a great thing. You can commit to your studies because you have the aid and attention just an email away. My classmates always gathered together to prompt study sessions, which really helped me stay ahead on my studies. We help each other through Google docs and complete tediously long study guides in the matter of a few hours.

Along with that, the MBA administration knows everything about you – and, yes, they might even be your friends on Facebook! I’m sure every person you’ve interacted with during your search at our MBA office has encouraged you to call them by first name. It’s not unprofessional; it’s a dynamic of a smaller, intimate community.

This small, intimate community is just a microcosm of the Virginia Tech campus as a whole. It’s a campus that embodies the spirit of a community – a bond of all things Hokie. Oh yeah, that’s another factor that you need to know about Virginia Tech – the Hokie. Can you explain exactly what a Hokie is? If not, you better pay attention now! The Virginia Tech website can give you a nice, educational background from Hokie Stone to HokieBird, but it goes beyond a simple mascot. The Hokie Spirit that embodies Virginia Tech is about serving others – our university motto is Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) – and, of course, Hokie Pride (especially around football season).

I hope these tidbits have stirred up even more excitement as new first-year MBA students get prepared to start at the Virginia Tech MBA program in the fall! Get ready for a great adventure!